A Novel in a Month? NaNoWriMo Challenges Kids to Write, Write, Write

If there’s a downside to the attention that STEM programs, science projects and math competitions receive these days, it’s that nurturing kids’ creative writing skills sometimes gets lost in the mix. 

Renowned author Margaret Atwood reminds us of the risks of failing to nurture young writers: “Reading and writing, like everything else, improve with practice. And, of course, if there are no young readers and writers, there will shortly be no older ones.” One solution for ensuring a new generation of writers is NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program (YWP). 

NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, began in the Bay Area in 1999 when 21 adults each challenged themselves to write a novel of 50,000 words during the month of November.

By 2014, there were over 325,000 “WriMos” (participants). In 2005, the YWP was launched so that kids in grades K–12 would be encouraged to partake in this nonprofit organization’s program. Last year, 81,311 students and educators participated in the Young Writers Program. 

Students can participate through their school if a teacher is promoting the program, or they can sign up on their own or with friends and family. At Woodinville Montessori School [full disclosure: my son goes to school there] secondary teacher, Kelly Koffman, began incorporating NaNoWriMo into her curriculum last year when her entire creative writing class took part. This year, NaNoWriMo is an honors option for her combined seventh and eighth grade language arts class.

While adults are challenged to write 50,000 words during the month of November, kids are tasked with setting reasonable goals for themselves, depending on their age. NaNoWriMo suggests that students in middle school set goals of between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Koffman asked her participating students to decide on a word-count goal, and then encouraged them to stretch a bit. 

Regardless of the word count, anyone who accomplishes his or her goal by midnight on November 30 is deemed a “winner.” According to the folks at NaNoWriMo, writing a first draft is not about quality but about quantity. The time for left-brain activities such as editing comes later. 

The benefits of this process are many. Rebecca Stern, director of programs for NaNoWriMo said, “NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program empowers students to dive into the writing process and tell their stories. By participating in NaNoWriMo, students gain confidence in their writing abilities, a sense of accomplishment, and, most importantly, a strong belief that their stories matter.” 

The stories that the middle schoolers at Woodinville Montessori will write this year likely will be as varied as their personalities. Finn, an eighth grader who wears funny Pi T-shirts, used a brainstorming technique to come up with his idea for a fantasy novel. 

Zoe, also an eighth grader, has decided to wing it this year. Commenting on the 50,000-word novel she wrote last year, she says, “Of course, it wasn’t very good because there is no inner editor — but it was fun.” It’s precisely that internal editor that Koffman wants to encourage her students to quiet this November. 

For the less seat-of-the-pants students and educators, the YWP website is replete with both practical and inspiring resources, including workbooks, tips for getting started, and forums to connect with other young writers. Dylan, eighth grader and nascent WriMo, is taking advantage of some of these for guidance: “I’ve written a 1000-word outline,” he explains. “My novel is going to be a mystery/crime story — sort of like an episode of Chicago P.D. — and probably about as bad.”

The point is to start, says Sophia, Woodinville Montessori seventh grader and veteran WriMo. “For kids wanting to do NaNoWriMo, I would say do it, do it, do it. Pace yourself, plan your story, and realize that you’re not going to write Harry Potter the first time you try. Or the second. Or the 53,429th. But someday, with some editing, you might. And then you’ll know why it’s worth it.”